Chapter 168

Ella

The cool desert breeze tousled my hair as Logan and I said our goodbyes and made our way back to his car. It should have been refreshing, but I couldn’t seem to get my mind off of the strange interaction with that ‘Jet’ character, and I found myself looking over my shoulder as if he would be right behind me.

“You okay?” Logan’s voice pulled me out of my reverie. I blinked, feeling a bit taken aback by my sudden snap back to the present, and nodded as I forced a smile.

“I’m fine,” I said, nodding. “Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

Logan chuckled as we climbed back into his car. “These parties will do that to you. Did you enjoy yourself, at least?” he asked.

Much to my surprise, I found myself nodding with a smile on my face. “Yeah, actually, I did,” I said with a slight laugh. “I’ll admit it: you were right.”

His eyes lit up. “I told you it would be fun. These are some good people. And my friends liked you.”

At his words, I felt a slight blush creep into my cheeks. I found myself reminded of the moment that Rickie had mentioned that Logan talked about me all of the time, and I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer.

“Rickie told me you can’t shut up about me.”

“Oh?” Logan quirked an eyebrow as he steered the car around and headed back down the dark desert road. I could tell that he was trying to act casual, but I knew that he was secretly embarrassed.

I nodded, a smirk playing across my lips. “She said you called me ‘badass’.”

Logan fell silent for a few moments after that, and for a split second, I wondered if I had struck a nerve somehow. But then, just as I was about to open my mouth to ask if he was okay, he nodded. “That’s true,” he muttered.

“You know, Logan, you shouldn’t make stuff up—” I began to tease, but before I could finish, Logan cut me off with a shake of his head.

“I wasn’t making anything up, Ella.”

My eyes widened slightly. “You weren’t?”

He shot me a quick glance, and his eyes were nothing but serious in the dim light of the car. “Of course not. Ella, you’re the most badass woman I know. The stuff you’ve done for me… No one else would ever go to such lengths.”

His words gave me pause. I found myself thinking back on the history we shared together, the danger, the fear.

And it broke my heart knowing that he was still wrong—because I wasn’t what he thought I was. I was a coward, giving in to Marina’s capitulations.

The rest of the car ride went by in silence. At some point, I must have slipped off to sleep, because before I knew it Logan was shaking my shoulder and saying my name. When I opened my eyes, we were no longer in the dark desert but were instead surrounded by the amber glow of streetlights.

We were outside my apartment.

“Wow,” I said, blinking. “That was fast.”

Logan smirked. “You just passed out, that’s all. You were cute, though.”

I blushed, smoothing down my tousled hair and shook my head. I unbuckled my seatbelt, secretly aching for my bed but also not wanting the night to be over yet.

Before I could say anything, Logan flashed me a grin, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint. “So, Ella, what did you think of your first underground racing experience? Think you’ll join me again?”

I crossed my arms, giving him a playful scolding look. “I enjoyed it, really. But Logan, it’s dangerous. I hope you know that.”

He chuckled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Come on, Ella, you worry too much. I’m an expert at this. I’d never let myself get hurt. Besides, having my lucky charm there made it even better.”

I felt my face flush at his words, the warmth spreading through my cheeks as I looked down at the ground. “Well, I guess I was pleasantly surprised,” I admitted, my tone softening. “But seriously, Logan, be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Logan’s grin widened, and he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “You care about me, huh?”

I couldn’t help but smile back, our faces inches apart. “Maybe a little.”

The moment hung in the air, charged with an unspoken tension. I considered asking Logan to come upstairs with me, to continue the night, but something held me back. Maybe it was the dangerous world he lived in, or maybe it was the fear of getting too close when I knew our time together was limited.

Logan broke the silence with a sigh, straightening up. “I should get going. It’s been a long night, and I have some things to take care of.”

I nodded, climbing out of the car. “Drive safely, Logan.”

As he drove off into the night, I stood there for a moment, watching his taillights disappear into the distance.

But then, an eerie sensation crept over me, like the feeling of being watched. I scanned the dimly lit street, but there was no one in sight.

“Is there someone here?” I asked my wolf, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck begin to raise.

She paused for a moment, sensing the air, before she replied. “I don’t sense anyone.”

Shuddering, I hurried inside my apartment and locked the door behind me despite my wolf’s reassurance.

The events of the night had left me feeling a sense of unease. Marina’s words about a hitman kept echoing in my mind, and the idea that someone might be watching me sent a chill down my spine.

I went through the apartment, closing and locking all the windows, shutting the curtains tightly to block out any prying eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as I double-checked the locks on the front door.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I tried to calm my racing thoughts. I knew I had entered a world of danger by getting close to Logan, but I couldn’t deny the pull I felt toward him. His charm, his confidence, his daredevil attitude—it was all so intoxicating.

But it came at a price, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was lurking just beyond the shadows.

As I lay in bed that night, my mind racing with thoughts of the race, Logan, and the unsettling feeling of being watched, sleep remained elusive. The events of the evening had left me with a mix of emotions—excitement, fear, and a growing curiosity about the dangerous world Logan inhabited.

But despite my unease, there was a part of me that wanted to know more, to be a part of his world, even if just as an observer. The intrigue of the underground races and the man who had introduced me to them was impossible to ignore.

But as I lay there in the darkness, the distant rumble of the car engines still echoing in my ears, I couldn’t help but wonder if getting closer to Logan would only make matters worse.